All the articles I have read were very badly written and incredibly confusing. The Czech news website Ceskenoviny.cz , for example, seems to be confused by the different between a pistol and a rifle.

The new arms will replace machine guns 58 based on the Soviet-made Kalashnikovs AK 47, Pravo writes.

…

“It was originally said that only special units will get offensive handguns. The whole military could be rearmed for two billion crowns,” Seda told Pravo.

It writes that the military also plans to spend 3.49 billion crowns on the purchase of light armoured vehicles. Next year 418 million crowns are to be spent on the purchase and a greater part in 2013 and 2014.

Earlier this year I covered the launch of the CZ S805 rifle, which was developed in conjunction with the Czech Army. I guess that this will be the replacement.

Founder and Dictator-In-Chief of TFB. A passionate gun owner, a shooting enthusiast and totally tacti-uncool. Favorite first date location: any gun range. Steve can be contacted here.

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Clodboy

The reason for the mixup might be that in some languages, “hand”-guns refers to small arms in general, while pistols and revolvers are termed “fist”-guns (atleast that’s how it is in German)

Adding to the confusion is the fact that several Eastern Bloc states referred to their AK clones as “submachine guns”/”automatic pistols” rather than the Western term “assault rifle”.

Matt Groom

Anyone who knows anything about the VZ 58 knows that is shares exactly one thing in common with the AK, it’s caliber. That’s like saying the SCAR is based on the AR-15. Apparently, a universal trait of journalists world wide is not knowing which end of a firearm the bullet comes from.

Tom

We get a more military version of the 58 in Canada than the US does (it’s actually quite different from the American version) and they’re pretty damn junky actually. Of course you’re getting a semi-auto with 5 mags, a pouch and a chrome bore that wholesales for less than $700 including shipping from the Czech Republic.

2,000,000,000 Kč is about $120,000,000 CAD That’s quite a lot considering they only have about 25,000 combat men, perhaps they’ll arm all their personal for that.

Lance

I dont know the new CZ dosnt look to light and portable it looks heavy and cumbersome. Very ugly too!!!

The VZ-58 is still in use in Slovokia though!

jdun1911

Yeah Matt, another piss poor reporting. You would think that with the invent of the internet, the free flow of information, and google, it wouldn’t take that much time to check your facts.

Destroyer

jdun, it is you that needs to do research. The VZ58 is a drastic improvement over the AK47. For one, it is short-stroke piston operated, reducing recoil. Second, it has a ambidextrous select fire switch. Third, it has a unopposed bolt opening, further increasing reliability. The only thing it has in common with the AK is its caliber. I definitely didn’t cover everything. I own a civilian version and it is a fine rifle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vz._58

Lance

Uh Destroyer the VZ-58 is not a AK-47 its a STG-44 improvemnt. You got it wrong about the actions of the two weapons is very differnt.

Destroyer

hey lance, i never said it was a AK47, i said it was a drastic improvement over the AK47 which was essentially standardized in warsaw pact armies. It is a short-stroke, gas piston assault rifle. the AK47 is long stroke piston. the two actions are similar in theory but have differences. Yes, despite having a milled receiver, the Vz 58 is lighter than the AK47. The Vz 58 is an original design not based on any rifle design. again, people need to do their homework (i own one and “AK47s” so i have firsthand comparative knowledge).